Slug-casting machine



wel? (u ,a

June 26, 1928.

A. J. STOUGES SLUG GASTING-MACHINE Filed Jan. 1,9. 1926 Patented June 26, 1928.

UNITED STATI-:sl

lPari-:Nr OFFICE.

ANTHONY J. STOUGES, 0F QUEENS VILLAGE, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR 'lO MERGENTHALER LINOTYPE COMPANY, A CORPORATION 0F NEW YORK. y

SLUG-CASTING MAQHINE.

Application filed January 19, 1926 Serial No. 82,184.

My invention relates to slug cast-ing machines, such as linotype machines of the general orgization represented in U. S. Letters Patent to O. Mergenthaler, No. 436,532, wherein a melting pot movable to and from the casting position is arranged to deliver molten met-al into a slotted mold and up against a' composed line of matrices to produce a type bar or slug bearing on its edge type characters corresponding to the intaglio characters of the matrices. In these machines, the molten metal is introduced into the mold by means of a spring-actuated pump piston or plunger arranged within the pot and controlled in its act-ion by a rotary cam, which, as well known, makes one complete rotation for each cycle of operation of' the machine. The cam is so shaped as normally to maintain the pump plunger in a raised osition out of action, but in one portion ofp its circumference it is formed with a depression, which at the proper time permits the plunger to descend under the` iniuence of its actuating spring to force the metal into the mold, it being understood in this connection that the distance the plunger descends is largely determined by the amount of metal it displaces, rather than by the depth of the depression in the cam. Since the slugs produced on modern machines vary widely in size (bot-h as regards length and thickness), it is evident that the active stroke of the plunger will vary correspondingly, assuming, of course, that the metal be kept at a constant level within the pot. Thus, when casting-short slugs of the thinner variety, the plunger descends only a short distance as compared with the distance it is required to travel when casting long slugs of the thicker variety. In practice, it has .been found that this variable condition, aggravated by slight imperfections of adjustment, wearing of the parts, and other causes, permits the recession of the pot to take place before the cam regains its control of the plunger, with the result that the latter is allowed to drop again and squirt molten metal from the pot in an objectionable and even dangerous manner.

The present invention is intended t-o obviate the foregoing difiiculties, and contemplates means for establishing the properv gagement with the mold. To this end, specifically, the plunger is provided with a variable by-pass, whereby it is allowed to make a vfull downward stroke in casting all slugs, irrespective of size. In the embodiment illustrated, the plunger is provided with a recessed plug screwed into the bottom thereof and capable of adjustment to vary the size of the by-pass according to the size of the slugs to be cast.

In the accompanying drawing, I have shown my invention only in preferred form and by way of example, and as applied to a line casting machine, but obviously many changes and alterations may be made therein and in its mode of adaptation, without departure from its spirit. Generally speaking, I desire it to be understood that I de not wish to limit myself to any specific form or embodiment, except in so far as such limitations are specified in the claims.

In the drawings: v Fig. l is a vertical section throughthe casting mechanism, showing the parts in cast-ing position prior to the descent of the pot plunger;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged vertical section taken through the improved plunger;

Fig. 3 is a horizontal section, taken on line 3 3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4: is a view similar to Fig. 3, showing the plug turned to decrease the size of the by-pass; and

Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic view, showing a relation of the pot plunger roller to the recessed portion of the cam.

In Fig. l, the parts are shown in the relative positions they occupy just prior to the commencements of the casting operation, the slotted mold A carried by the rotary disc A being closed at the front by the composed matrix line X, which is presented momentarily thereto by the lirst elevator B, and at the rear by the mouthpiece vof the melting pot C, which contains a supply of type metal maintained in a molten condition by means of a suitable burner (not shown). The pot C is mounted in a jacket or rocking frame C2 movable to and fro under the control of the edge cam E, and is. formed with a throat or passage C3 through which the metal is forced into the mold by a spring-actuated plunger I), the latter being arranged to reciprocate within the pot throat C3. The plunger D is connected by means of a rod or link D to the long arm of a 'bell crank lever D2 having a sleeve portion D3 journaled on a fixed transverse rod D4 of the machine frame and provided with an arm D5 extending laterally beneath a second lever D, which is also journaled on .the rod D1 and connected at its free end .to

` pull spring D1. The latter is anchored to the machine frame and actuates the plunger D through the connections just described. The shorter arm of the bell crank D2 is provided with a roller D8 arranged to track upon the periphery of the usual rotary cam D1 fast to the main shaft of the machine. As well understood, the peripheral face of this cam is concentric throughout, except at one portion of its circumference where it is cut away or formed with a depression D10. When the machine is at rest the roller Ds is in contact with the concentric portion of the cam D, so that the plunger D is maintained in its raised or inoperative position (shown in Fig. l). This `condition obtains until the casting period arrives, when the cam rotating in the direction indicated brings the downwardly sloping surface al of the depression D10 into engagement with the roller D8, which then quickly descends along such surface toward the bottom of the depression,

thus permitting the spring D7 to depress the plunger and force a charge of molten metal into the mold. As the camfcontinues to rotate, the roller D9 is engaged sooner or later by the 'upwardly sloping surface D11 of the depression and the parts thereby more gradually restored to their original condition to await the next casting operation. The parts so far described, and their construction and mode of operation, are or may be the same as those embodied in the commercial linotype machine and in themselves constitute no part of the present invention.

It will be understood that, duringithe slug casting period, the roller D8 will seldom reach the bottom of the depression D10, due to the fact that the plunger D will be arrested in its descent at one level or another according to the volume of metal it displaces in effecting the cast. lln casting slugs of the larger sizes, the plunger of course sinks well down in the pot well. C4 and the roller D8 is thus brought quite close to, if not at, the bottom of the depression D10, so that it (the roller) is in position to be quickly engaged by the cam surface D11 after casting (see Fig. 5). On the other hand, in castin slugs of the smaller sizes (particularly .if the pot is filled to its capacity), the plunger is sustained at a much higher level, so that the cycle of ope-ration is allowed to proceed for a considerable period after casting before the roller D8 is engaged by the cam surface D11 and the downward pressure ofthe plunger relieved. This delay of the cam Lemme surface in picking up the plunger has given .rise to the difliculties hereinbefore pointed out, and the present invention contemplates certain improvements whereby the plunger is allowed toY seek a common level in its descent, irrespective of the quantity of metal which it displaces, and in so doing to locate the roller D8 in proper relation to the cam surface D11 to insure thel lifting of the plunger within the time limit permitted. ln the preferred embodiment illustrated, the plunger Dis provided with a by-pass arranged to permit a small amount of molten metal to escape therethrough during its downstroke. rlhus at its lower end, the plunger is provided with an. internally threaded neck portion D12 formed with ports or apertures D13, and into said neck portion there is screwed a valve plug D14 formed with a 'lV-shaped port or passage D15, arranged to register with the apertures D13 and vin constant communication with the open interior of the hollow plunger. The- .plug D1A1 is provided with a nut D16 which may be screwed up against the neck portion D12 to lock the plug in its different adjusted positions. With this arrangement, the size of the by-pass may be varied to suit the casting conditions, or it may be shut off entirely, if desired, by a slight turn of the plug D14 in either direction. As a result, the. active stroke of the plunger may be regulated so'as to insure the raising of the plunger prior to the recession of the pot, without regard to the size of the slugs to be cast. Of course, in casting the larger slugs, the by-pass could just as well be closed, since the volume of metal displaced permits the plunger to descend far enough to bring the roller D8 under proper control of the cam surface D11 within the time limit allowed. By properly adjusting the by-pass valve, the working stroke of the plunger may be made substantially uniform for all sizes of slugs. It is also pointed out that this adjusting feature, as well as the angular nature of the by-pass, permits the ports to be of much greater diameter than might otherwise be possible, and hence they can be more easily cleaned and are less susceptible to clogging.

As before stated, I have herein shown my invention merely in preferred form and by way of example, but obviously many changes and variations may be made therein which will still be comprised within its scope.

g For instance, while it is particularly advantageous to locate the by-pass in the pump plunger, .as above described, it would be entirely feasible to locate said by-pass in the pump well or the pot throat, the essential idea being to permit the molten metal to escape from the pressure chamber into the supply chamber during the active stroke of the pump plunger so that the latter may descend far enough to come under proper control of its actuating cam. It is, therefore,

" understood that I do not wish to limit mylthe plunger throughout its active stroke,

2. In a slug casting machine, the combination of va melting pot containing a pump Well, a pump plunger arranged to reciprocate in said well, and a constantly open bypass to permit' the escape of metal from the pressure chamber into the supply chamber of the pot throughout the active stroke of the plunger.

3. In a slug casting machine, the combination of a melting pot containing a pump well, a pump plunger arranged to reciprocate in said well, a constantly open by-pass I to permit the escape of metal from the pressure chamber into the supply chamber of er in the casting operatlon.

the pot throughout he active stroke of the plunger, and means for regulating the size of the by-pass according to the volume of metal required to be displaced by the plung- 4. In a slug casting machine, the combination of a melting pot containing a pump well, a pump plunger arranged to reciprocate in said well, a by-pass formed in said plunger to permit the escape of metal past the same during its active stroke, and means for adjusting the size of the by-pass according to the volume of metal required to be displaced by the plunger in the casting operation.

5. In a slug casting machine, the combination of a melting pot containing a pump Well, a pump plunger arrangedto reciprocate in said well, a by-pass formed in said plunger to permit the escape of metal4 past .the same during its active stroke, and a. valve plug adjustable at will to regulate the size of the by-pass.

6. In a slug casting machine, the combination of a melting pot containing a pump well, a pump plunger arranged to reciprocate in said Well, a by-pass formed in said plunger to permit the escape of metal past the same during its active stroke, and means for closing the by-pass when desired.

7. In a slug casting machine, the combination of a melting pot containing a pump well, a pump plunger aranged to reciprocate in said well, a by-pass formed in sai plunger to permit the escape of metal past the same duringl its active stroke, a valve plug adjustable at will to regulate the size of the by-pass. and means for locking the plug in its adjusted positions.

8. In a slug casting machine, the Acombination of a melting pot containing a pump Well, a spring-actuated plunger arranged to reciprocate in said well, a cam for controlling the active stroke of the plunger, a lever connected to the plunger and arranged to cooperate with said cam, and 'a constantly open by-pass formed in said plunger and governing the extent of its active stroke to insure the proper operative relation between the lever and cam.

:soA

dos

In testimony whereof, I have aiixed my signature hereto.

ANTHONY J. STOUGES. 

